With You
by Lauren Chamberlain
Summary: Eridan Ampora is bullied to the point of near suicide by his brother. Only with the help of you will he be able to survive. But what happens when secrets are revealed about his older brother, Cronus? This is based on the true story of my friend Benjamin, and adapted to fit Homestuck. NONE OF THIS OTHER THAN THE NAMES OF THE CHARACTER IS FICTION.
1. Chapter 1

AN:

This is based on the true story of my friend Benjamin, and adapted to fit Homestuck. NONE OF THIS OTHER THAN THE NAMES OF THE CHARACTER IS FICTION.

This is from the point of Eridan's (Ben's) girlfriend.

* * *

><p>You see him everyday at school. Walking down the halls with his eyes glued to the floor, not daring to look up over the rims of his thick framed glasses to see who's calling his name. But when his name is called it is not in a friendly manner. It is in a mocking manner, his name rolling off of their lips like it's poison, like it's a joke, like it's something that should be inexistent. His name: Eridan Ampora. He is bullied, day after day. His books are sent flying across the floor from the "accidental shove" of a passing student. His glasses get ripped from his face and snapped. His clothes, get stolen from his gym locker, and are replaced with a fairy costume. But these are the norm at school. Things like this happen to him everyday, and the bullies only walk away with no punishment, not even a glance. The leader of the pack is his older brother. And you find it horrible how he treats him. He's the one that filled his locker full of Playboy magazines. He's the one that snuck cigarettes in his backpack. He's also the one that pushed him down the stairs on the first day of school, leaving him in a bruised, bloodied, and whimpering heap on the floor.<p>

No one so much as took a glance at him.

Except for you.

But you do nothing about it. Knowing that you will be thrown in the preverbal descend to hell. You simply walk past him, clutching your books to your chest and cringe at the sounds of his whimpering and sniffles.

But that was years ago. When you and him were in eight grade, and when his brother was a Junior.

Now. You're both Freshman. His brother is a Senior. And it's that last week of school. A week underclass students dread for.

Senior prank week.

There's a heavy knot in your stomach as you bump around the back of the bus on the way to school. It's Monday morning you realize and you yawn. You look up and see the ebony haired kid a few seats in front of you on the other side of the bus; his face leaned against the smudged glass window and his eyes averted to the bland sights before him. His brother, Cronus you believe was his name, was sitting in the seat across from you, calling out Eridan's name and throwing paper wads at the back of his head. Cronus and his friends laugh hysterically as they start yelling over at him, calling out rude remarks and hurtful names. One of his friends wearing a red sweater and black jeans calls out to Eridan.

"Hey, what's up with that purple in your hair? Are you a fucking pansy or some shit?"

Cronus cuts in, "No no, Kankri, he's a /fairy/. That's why he's got pretty colors in his hair. Why I think that's even his favorite color. Purple. Isn't that right Eribaby? Hey, faggot! I'm talking to you! Ohhhh girly!"

Cronus, Kankri and the rest of his clique howl with laughter as they start throwing cigarette butts at him. Eridan keeps his gaze out the window and brushes off the trash thrown at him. Not even making a noise or breaking his gaze away from outside. You watch them silently, particularly Cronus as he yells gay remarks to his brother, laughing as Kankri backs him up. You notice that Cronus lingers his gaze on Kankri's lips as he speaks his awful words. But you don't give it much thought as another one of his friends, Kurloz snaps at you.

"Hey, short stuff, keep your eyes to yourself you fucking cunt. There's nothing you should be nosing around over here for. Mind your own fucking business."

You immediately look down at your lap, hearing another whoop of idiotic laughter and the slap of palms meeting each other.

The bus comes to a halt to let the students off, the knot starting to feel like a rock in your gut. You grab your bag and stand, immediately getting shoved aside as Cronus and his gang get up to follow Eridan, who had already leapt up and hurried off the bus. You step off and walk inside the building, watching the laughing and whooping gang ahead of you break off to go to different home rooms. The taller ebony haired boy walking behind the shorter and yelling his insults at him like always makes you cringe. Eridan steps up to his locker, his face smacking hard into it as Cronus shoves his head forward.

"Oops sorry there Eribaby didn't see you."

He cackles and heads down the hall to his homeroom, making Eridan let out a silent sigh of slight relief.

Your locker is one away from his, and you can't help but notice that his hands were covered in burn marks, his knuckles scrapped and scabbed. You go back to your locker and pop it open, listening to the mumbles coming from the boy next to you as he stands there, looking down at the tassels of his scarf in his fingers. You watch him silently as he speaks to himself. Then you realize he was praying, probably for mercy through this week you assume. You realize he had stopped and started rummaging through his locker for his books, making you snap back into reality to grab yours. Eridan pulls out his binder labeled "Science" and his book. You grab your literature, following his pace like you were copying him. As he shuts his locker you shut yours and he looks over at you weirdly. His eyes were tired and pained, with slight dark circles under them. You notice they were rimmed with red from tears. Something screams at you in the back of your head to tell you to say something to him. But you were to afraid to say anything. Obeying the voice yelling at you, you finally open your mouth to speak.

You can't even breath out a word before he breaks the short gaze and turns to the hallway. You sigh and turn the other way, the knot in your stomach tightening again for feeling so bad. You hear a laugh and a crash of paper and books, making you turn around. Eridan stands, staring at his belongings on the floor as the stranger that had knocked them away cackled. He kneels down to pick up his book, it only getting kicked away from him. It slides and ends up before your feet. You look down and pick up the book and step over to him. Eridan looks up quickly and flinches, fearing that it was someone getting ready to hit him. When he realized it was you his gaze softens and goes back down to his papers. You kneel down next to him and help him shuffle his papers up right. He hisses at you, his unfamiliar voice sending a chill down your spine.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

As the papers go back into the binder and the books go back into his hands, the both of you stand. You don't say anything, you only keep your gaze at his hands. You turn away and head to class, clutching your books to your chest, still shivering at the sound of his voice. Which was something you have never heard before.


	2. Chapter 2

The bell rings for lunch and it makes you jump. You get up and follow the flowing stream of students out the door to merge with the students in the hallway. You felt like you were in a human cattle drive, but louder and smelly with B.O. and cheap cologne. You huff as you finally make it to your locker, popping it open to shove your binder and books in. You notice that Eridan wasn't at his locker. He was always at his locker after the lunch bell. You shrug to yourself and head to the cafeteria, it being surprisingly full today, given that everybody wanted to stay inside for lunch and not get pranked outside. It was so packed you couldn't even find a seat. You sigh and throw your perfectly good tray in the trash, and set it aside for washing. You weren't hungry anyway. Your stomach hurt too much. You trail aimlessly through the empty halls until you reach the school doors. Too lost in your thoughts you head outside, joining the other students who were brave enough to use their open campus privileges during prank week. You walk down the sidewalk and round the corner to the track, deciding to walk in aimless circles in silence until the first bell rings for class. As you step onto the black rubbered track, you hear deep chuckles and the sound of a thump. Following the soft chuckles and laughs, you find yourself walking over to the shed next to the school. You look down the alley between the two buildings, finding something that made you freeze.

Kankri had his back pressed against the wall of the shed, Cronus's body right up against his. The air was thick with their chuckles and wet noises of their mouths opening and closing against each other. Kankri laughed as Cronus slid his hands up his sweater to his chest. They gasped for air as they broke their kiss, Kankri only bringing his lips to Cronus's neck and ear. They both groaned as they started grinding against each other, their moans of need laced with pleasure as Cronus slides his hands down to snake under Kankri's jeans. Kankri, grinds into his hand as it moves down farther to his crotch. You turn away immediately and run back to the school, running inside, down the halls and past the teachers snapping at you, then finally into the girls restroom. You look at yourself in the mirror, your arms and hands shaking.

It all made sense now.

Why Cronus bullied him like that.

To hide the fact that he himself was gay. To make him see more manly than what he really was. To make Eridan look like the one who was gay.

There was a rumor a few years back written on a restroom stall saying that, "Ampora is gay."

Cronus took that as a chance to throw it on his brother.

Oh god.

You had to tell him.

Splashing cold water on your face you step out and stand, remembering that you hadn't seen him after the lunch bell. You look both ways down the hall, for any trace. He wasn't in the cafeteria, you knew, he never ate in there. He always ate...

In the gym.

Taking off in a sprint you steal the time to glance at a clock in a classroom.

You had 30 more minutes left. Plenty of time.

You keep running, receiving loads of, "Watch it!" and, "SLOW DOWN!"  
>But you didn't care. You had to find Eridan.<p>

Bursting through the gym doors you scan the bleachers for him. You don't see him. No one was in there. You jog across the gym floor to the small hallway leading to the boys locker room. Pausing, you decide to pull up the hood of your jacket to hide your hair and your face a bit. You tried your best to hide your girlish face. You walk down the hall to the closed locker room door. Closed. It was never closed. The boys locker room door had a bad hinge, which always left it halfway open. Your breath hitching you shove open the heavy door with your shoulder and step in silently. You walk into the humid, sweat smelled room, cringing your nose up. Not hearing any voices so far you travel farther, stepping past the lockers to the restroom area. The sight of the dirty urinals made you gag almost, your gag almost turning into a loud gasp when you heard a noise. Someone crying. You walk past the wall of urinals and round the corner to the stalls with the toilets, all of them being open. The cries and gasps got louder as you inched closer to the last stall. You peak into the last stall, finding no one, but the cries were so close and clear. Then you noticed there was about three feet of space between the stall and the wall. You swallow nervously and lean forward. You gasp and bring your hand up to your mouth.

Eridan was sitting cross legged on the dirty floor, with his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and his arms and hands covered in glossy crimson. Bloodied blades rest in one palm, a tear stained and blood soaked tissue in the other. As soon as you make a sound of surprise his head snaps up to see you, tears streaming down his face as he shrieks at you.

"Get the FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

You shake your head, your mouth agape as you collapse to your knees in front of him, not even caring for the shock of pain it sent through your thighs. Eridan jumps back away from you.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

His hands shake as he looks at you and you shake your head, pushing back your hood to reveal your gender. His puffy eyes widen and he speaks in a surprised tone, his voice still shaking.

"Y-you?!"

You nod and looks down to his arms, your skin crawling at the sight of his ribboned flesh. His arms were shaking terribly as he whimpers with a terrified cry, you reach over to him slowly, only making him flinch and pull away from you more with a snap.

"Y-you shouldn't be in here! You need to leave, now!"

He trembles more, his skin becoming more and more pale. You reach forward again with a shake of your head, and clasp his hand. He grunts in refusal and surprise as he blinks at you. You part your dry lips and speak for the first time to him.

"No. You need help. Let me help you."

"You want to help? Then just let me fucking /DIE/!"

"I can't do that."

"Why the fuck not!?"

"Because I know something you don't."

His trembles slowed a bit, and his eyes started to become half lidded. He was going to black out. You reach up and take his face in your hands, slapping his cheeks and shaking his head slightly.

"No, no! Please, just stay awake, please, let me help you. You need help. You can't die. Not now."

He forces his eyes open to look at you, a sad smile playing his lips.

"What's wrong with me...?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Here, take this."

You reach into your pocket and pull out a pack of gum, your favorite Hubba Bubba grape. You cram a piece in his mouth.

"Use that sugar to your damn advantage while I clean you up, just focus on staying awake alright?"

He nods slowly as he chews, resting his head back against the cool cement wall. You stand and pull out the whole bundle of paper towels from its dispenser, wetting some with cool water from the sink. You then kneel back in front of him, pressing a wet cloth to his forehead that was layered in a sheet of cold sweat. He sighs and gasps as you start wiping the blood gently from his arms, the slits in the skin swelling. After washing off all the blood on his arms and hands, you presses dry papers to the cuts on his arms, letting what little blood there was soak up and hoping they would stop bleeding. You sit back and pull your knees to you chest and watch his arms, listening to the silence between the two of you and the breathing of him, hoping the breaths wouldn't falter. After a few minutes, the bell blares and you jump, your eyes widening in realization. They could get caught being in there. He opens his eyes and notices your worry.

"It's alright," he said, " Mr. Leer doesn't have a class this period.."

You nod and let out a sigh of relief, and he smirks slightly at you, the smirk fading into a confused and timid look.

"Why help me?"

You look at him and speak softly,

"You need it."

"Yeah, I've needed it for years, and you start /now/? At the beginning of my high-school life? What's the delay?"

"I.. I was too scared... I was—"

"You were afraid you'd become a loser like me."

You blink at him.

"N-no... I.. I was just afraid you'd reject the help.. And.. Also because of your brother. I was afraid he'd bully me like he does you."

"Oh.."

He turns away in embarrassment of cutting in and sounding like an ass. You watch him silently and scan his face before you speak.

"I know why he bullies you."

He laughs and shakes his head before turning to you.

"Not even God knows why he bullies me the way he does. He—"

"He's gay, Eridan."


	3. Chapter 3

Being cut off in mid-sentence, his mouth was still slightly open, then it closes slightly before he speaks again; his voice sounded unsure.

"W-what..?"

"He's gay. I came across Kankri and him having it out in the alley back behind the school."

"You're just fucking with me—"

"NO I'M NOT!"

He jumps at the sudden rise in your voice, his eyes scanning your face as they widen slightly in surprise."

"So... He is.."

"Yes! That's why he's been treating you this way! That's why he's been calling /you/ gay! Do you not remember the rumor a few years ago?"

"Rumor?"

He furrowed his brows as you widen your eyes in disbelief that he hasn't of heard.

"There was writing in one of the bathroom stalls, it said, 'Ampora is gay' it meaning Cronus. And... Cronus decided to put it all on you I guess.."

"I hadn't heard of that..." He pauses for a long while, stopping in mid-chew, "It all makes so much sense now.."

You nod, the knot finally leaving your stomach as you let out a silent sigh of relief and triumph. Your gaze goes down to your feet in silent thought. You hadn't notice but Eridan was watching you the whole time, he reaches over and touches your hand lightly, saying your name softly.

"Hey..."

You jump and look up at him,

"Huh?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"O-of course.."

"Can you sit here next to me? I'm cold..."

You nod and move over next to him, sliding into the small space between him and the wall. You notice the paper towels had dried to his arms, so you take them off carefully, eliciting a small gasp of pain from Eridans lips. You tug down his black sleeves gently over his arms, your fingers idling over his hand before pulling away and folding your hands in your lap. He smiles weakly and looks over at you.

"Thank you..."

You smile back lightly and relax a bit.

"You're welcome..."

He leans his head back against the wall and sighs, closing his eyes.

"Boy did I fuck up."

"You didn't fuck up... It's not your fault they pushed you to your edge. They aren't worth your time, sweat, or blood, Eridan.."

He turns slowly to look at you, hunkering down a bit more to meet your gaze eye level, given that he was taller than you. You let him steal your warmth, a slight blush dusting your cheeks. He smiles a bit and pats your knee gently as he mutters.

"You're a good friend.."

"I'm your.. Friend..?"

"You are now."

You smile lightly back at him as your palm slides into his. You give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Good. I like that. I'm glad I'm your friend."

He smiles and squeezes your hand back, nudging a bit closer into the warmth. You had to admit it was pretty cold. Especially sitting on the cold floor and leaning against the cement wall. He shivers and jumps slightly from a cold chill.

"Jesus Christ it's cold.."

"Y-yeah. It is..."

You shiver back just the same, the chill going through your thin jacket. You feel something behind your back, realizing it was his arm you turn to face him. His arm snakes behind you to hug you close, making the warmth more prominent and comfortable. You blush a bit and speak quietly.

"What are you doing?"

"You're cold. I'm keeping you warm. That's what friends do right?"

He smiles and you smile back as you lean into him, resting your head against his shoulder. He leans his head down to rest his temple to yours, making you blush more. He chuckles.

"Why the blush?"

"I've.. Never been close to a boy like this before."

"Neither have I a girl."

You smile shyly and avert your eyes away. Eridan pulls his head away and looks down at you with half lidded eyes. You turn slowly to face him, blushing more as your eyes trace over his face.

"W-what is it?"

"Thank you.."

You furrow your brows, confused as to why he thanked again.

"You're.. Welcome."

"No.. Really.. Thank you.."

He leans down and presses his lips to yours, making your body tense and your eyes go wide. His kiss made a comforting warmth spread through your body, so you let your eyes flutter and your body melt into the kiss. He pulls you closer with his arm around you, his other hand releasing yours to move up and cup your cheek. A shaky sigh escapes between your lips as his teeth nibble your lip, making you smile softly and crush your mouth to his. For a first kiss, you liked it. And you never would've thought it would be from Eridan Ampora. He smiles against your mouth and traces a thumb along your jaw, making you shiver and gasp. He chuckles, his lips parting with a small grin. You take that opportunity to slip your tongue past his lips, his tongue immediately meeting with yours. A small whimper sounds from your throat, your body just shaking from the pleasure of this new feeling. It seemed like hours as your tongues danced slowly with each other, curving along the dips and rises, tracing over each others teeth, tasting the sweet flavor of the grape bubble gum that he had cheeked quickly. Finally after what seemed like eternity, the both of you pull away, leaving nothing but frequent breathes for air and a deep flushed heat.

The both of you look into each others eyes for the longest time, the silence becoming longer, and more comfortable. Finally, he smiles and speaks lowly.

"Then again... Maybe more than friends."

You smile back and giggle slightly.

"Maybe.."

His smile softens as he brings his lips down to brush softly against yours.

"I'd like that.."

"I would too.."

The both of you continue to nuzzle noses and place gentle kisses against one another's lips before Eridan pulls away and leans his head down on your shoulder, linking his fingers with yours again. His eyes were already closed as he speaks.

"Wake me up when the bell rings?"

"Of course Eridan.."

He smiles and lets out a soft breath, falling asleep shortly after. You sit there, holding his hand tightly and listening to the rhythmic breathing of his lungs. The noise being soothing, your eyes start to get heavy, and you soon join your new boyfriend in the land of dreams that he was traveling through.


	4. Chapter 4

You jerk awake to the sound of hoarse laughing and the banging and slamming of lockers. You were stuck in the middle of Mr. Leer's Phys. Ed. class. You shake Eridan lightly, him waking up immediately at your touch. He opened his mouth to speak, but upon hearing the noises he shuts his mouth and widens his eyes. He brings a finger to your lips and nods, you nodding back. You hear Mr. Leer yelling at students to stop horsing around or he would hold them after class, making them miss their bus. This was seventh period. The last class of the day. And by the sounds of it the dismissed bell was getting ready to go off. Eridan carefully pulled his phone out from his pocket, bringing the screen to life to read the time. 3:12. Only three more minutes. You smile slightly in relief, then wonder how the hell the two of you slept in there without getting caught. Then again. No one uses the toilets in the boys restroom. You can't help but listen to everyone's conversation. Then you hear a familiar voice.

"Hey, Ampora! You goin' to the game tonight?"

It was Kankri. Eridan tensed at the sound of his last name, then relaxed when he realized it wasn't addressed towards him.

"Fuck yeah Chief! I always go to the football games!"

Another familiar voice, Kurloz.

"So, Cronus. What prank have you got planned for that faggot you call a brother?"

A cackle.

"Oh, I've got something great in mind for him. And you two are gonna be a part of it!"

A rowdy whoop of laughs and other jumbled words spreads as the dismissed bell blares. Soon, after the voices fade, the footsteps of Mr. Leer can be heard, then the close of a door, and the click of a lock. Eridan sighs in relief. You watch him and mutter.

"So.. What do you think they'll do to you?"

"I don't know.. They've done enough horrible things to me as it is. I don't really thinks it matters now.."

You squeeze his hand.

"Of course it matters.. You have to stand up to them.. You have to defend yourself."

"I can't. I—"

"Yes you can Eridan. I believe in you. You can stand up to yourself. But, just make sure it's at home. Not.. Somewhere secluded. Like here."

"How would I even..."

He trails off and looks at you.

"I would suggest talking to him about the whole.. Gay ordeal.."

"He would kill me."

"Not unless you have a parent with you."

He nods a bit and turns away.

"True.."

You grunt and stand, stretching your legs as you look around. You turn and hold out your hands to Eridan. He takes them and stands with the help you give him. He wobbles a bit, making you gasp slightly and stand up to him to steady him with your hands on his shoulders. His hands go to your waist for more support.

"Easy there.. How are you feeling..?"

"Dizzy.. Sort of.."

You frown slightly and sigh as you look up at him. He looks down at you and speaks calmly.

"I'll be okay.."

Eridan leans down and kisses you gently to reassure you. Your ridiculous blush returned as he pulled away, making him smile.

"Come on.. Lets get out of here.."

You nod, the both of you heading towards the door to unlatch the bolt lock to open the heavy mass. Stepping out onto the gym floor, the two of you hurry to the double doors that lead to the back parking lot. The two of you run out of the parking lot, luckily not finding anyone out. You keep running until you're both off school grounds. You stop to catch your breath, taking nervous glances here and there.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

Eridan has his phone out to you, the screen flashing to life.

"You need to call someone?"

You nod and graciously take the phone. You immediately tap in the number of your mothers phone. She picks up almost immediately. You tell her that you and a friend had a school project you needed to after school, then said that you were getting ready to leave now. After a few minutes of chatting you hang up and hand Eridan back his phone. He quirks a brow at you.

"Would you like me to walk you home?"

You shake your head.

"N-no.. It's fine, I'll jus—"

"I insist."

He smiles and takes your hand, making you smile again. Nodding okay, the both of you walk together down the sidewalk, fingers entwined. You talk to each other about many things. Your favorite bands, movies and books. You learn that he plays piano, and that he sings. He learns that you are very artistic and you write poetry. You chat on and on, so long that you decide to walk around your houses block to talk more. As you near the small drive of your house you pause and sigh, turning to face him.

"Looks like this is my stop.."

"Yeah.."

He smiles sadly and kisses your cheek.

"Come to the game tonight?"

You smile weakly.

"Only if you talk to your brother when you get home."

He nods briefly.

"Deal. I'll meet you in the student parking lot, sound good?"

"Sounds great."

He smiles and leans down to kiss you lightly, shyly wrapping his arms around your waist. You feel your face get heated as your arms move up around his neck. The two of you keep your lips connected for ages, and it didn't feel wrong. It felt.. Right.  
>He pulls away.<p>

"I should be getting home now.."

"Yeah.."

You unwrap from your embrace and intertwine hands and smile. He places a chaste kiss to your lips and steps back before kissing the backs of your hands.

"I'll see you tonight."

"Okay.."

He smiles and turns to leave, you stand thereand watch him, then turn to walk inside. You go upstairs to your room and collapse on your bed. Feeling happy. And fulfilled. And.. Scared.


	5. Chapter 5

You step outside and look around, the sun just peeking over the horizon past the houses. Just in time for the game. You walk in silence to the school, mostly just replaying current events in your mind. Preferably your first kiss. Smiling to yourself, you step onto school grounds and navigate your way to the student parking lot. Your eyes scan among the cars, not finding his familiar face. Wandering around aimlessly through cars you call out his name.

"Eridan..?"

Nothing.

You call out again, louder this time as you exit the parking lot and step onto the walk leading around the school. You sigh and stuff your hands in your jacket pockets, looking down at the ground as you walk. The whoops and laughs in front of you from a distance cut through the silent night. You look up, hearing the laughing again. It just sounded like group of people having a decent chat. Then a cry ripped through the air. Your hair standing on end, you run and follow the hoarse laughing and cries. The muffled noises lead you to the baseball field, the voices and laughter drifting from the dugouts. You slip past the open gate of the chain link fence and stalk towards the dugouts. Peering through the doorway, you lean in more to see.

Cronus had Eridan shoved against the wall, his shirt balled up in his fists. Kankri and Kurloz were standing a few feet back, with stupid smirks on their face as they watch the pack leader maul his brother. Eridan was already bruised up and bloody, a small trail of blood was running from his hairline and down over his eye. Cronus leaned his head in and spoke hastily in Eridan's ear, speaking lowly so his friends wouldn't hear.

"How /dare/ you try to confront me! Now dad won't even /look/ at me you little asshat. It's about time I knock the living shit out of you."

You can't move. You were too scared. All you could do was watch as Cronus kneed Eridan in the gut, letting go of him as he collapsed to the ground with a groan. Kankri and Kurloz whoop with feedback as Eridan receives several kicks to the torso, making him lay on his back. Cronus gets down and straddles over him, pinning him down as he lights a cigarette. Eridan squirmed under the weight, but he was too weak to fight back. Taking a long drag, Cronus grabs Eridan's arm, pinning it down and slipping the sleeve up. He laughs at the sight of the tender and scabbed up cuts on his skin. Pulling the cigarette out of his mouth, he presses the hot tip to a cut, making Eridan cry out. Cronus silences him with a punch to the jaw, leaving Eridan and trembling mass between his legs.

"Quit your crying. You fuckin' pussy. If you didn't want this to happen then you shouldn't have snitched to dad."

Eridan growls at him and squirms more.

"Get OFF!"

"FUCK YOU!"

Cronus pulls out his lighter and flicks it to life in one movement, then brings the flame down to Eridan's hand, burning the skin and making it bubble. He cries out and pleads, only making Cronus continue on. The flame, still touching his skin, runs down from the back of his hand and over his wrist to the swelled cuts underneath. Cronus smirks as he holds the fire over each cut, making the smaller ebony haired boy scream. You couldn't take it anymore. Swallowing up all of your anger you run up and kick Cronus in the head, knocking the larger boy off the smaller one. Eridan looks up at you and breathes out your name, sitting up and standing. Cronus groans and stands, holding his jaw as he looks at you.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing?"

Kankri laughs.

"Now now. Cronus I think she's come to save her boyfriend."

Cronus scoffs and cackles as he points at you.

"You're dating this /loser/?! This fucking pansy? I'm sorry but, I don't understand how you can date the lowest person in the school."

You state back blandly.

"I was just getting ready to ask you the same thing about your boyfriend. Kankri, isn't it?"

Kankri choked and sputters, clenching his fists to his sides. Cronus glares at you and sets his jaw. Kurloz stands and looks between the three of you.

"I'm sorry what?"

Eridan spats blood at Cronus's feet, directing his words to Kurloz.

"They're fucking queers. That rumor a few years back referred to Cronus. But he wanted to keep it secret and planted it on me instead."

Kurloz looks at both Cronus and Kankri, who were looking at each other silently. Eridan nods his head to you.

"She saw them today in the alley. Grabbing each others dicks like it was all they depended on."

"HEY!"

Kankri advanced towards Eridan, but he just held his ground, and your hand. Before he could walk past Cronus to slug Eridan, you speak sternly.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves."

Kankri stops and stares at you as you continue. Cronus met your gaze as well.

"Bullying your own brother like this. Because of your sexuality. What the hell is /wrong/ with you people? Instead of just keeping it secret or coming out of the closet, you /ruin/ his life! Which would have been gone today if I hadn't found him!"

Cronus blinks and looks at Eridan, his words laced with confusion.

"W-what..?"

You scream at him, letting go of Eridan's hand to lash out at Cronus.

"He fucking tried to KILL HIMSELF TODAY! JUST BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR BOYFRIEND WERE BEING FUCKING ASSHOLES TO HIM!"

Eridan grabs your arms, holding you back as you try to charge at Cronus.

"You fucking made him hate his life! You made him hate himself for being something he isn't! Why couldn't you just keep your secret to yourself and leave him the FUCK ALONE?!"

Cronus looks at you, then to Eridan and holds his gaze.

"You... Tried killing yourself..?"

"Oh does that surprise you?"

Eridan snapped as he finally calmed you down, gripping your hand tightly. Cronus looked at him sadly and spoke.

"Look I.. I'm sorry... I didn't mean—"

"You didn't mean it?! You didn't mean to bully me to my edge so I would break?! If you didn't mean to bully me, THEN WHY FOR FUCKS SAKE DID YOU CONTINUE?! If you feel so bad for what you did, THEN WHY DID YOU EVEN START TO HARASS ME IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"

"I.. I just didn't want the others to find out.. And.. Doing this helped me seem more tougher than what I actually am.. Helped make me seem more.. Manly I suppose.. I'm sorry, Eridan.."

"You aren't fucking sorry. You're just a fucking cock bobber from way back. Why don't you do us all a favor and go choke on a hard one."

Cronus blanches and opens his mouth, getting ready to speak again. Eridan cuts him off.

"Don't even bother trying to apologize, because I won't fucking accept it. I will /never/ forgive you. Ever. I'll make sure dad knocks the living shit out of you when I get home."

Eridan turns and heads out of the dugout, taking you with him. After he gets past the fence, he starts limping and winces.

"You okay..?"

He nods and holds your hand tighter. The two of you walk in the darkness in complete silence. You walk down an unfamiliar road, and stop in front of an unfamiliar house. Then you realized it was his road and his house. Still clutching your hand tightly, he walks up to the front door and steps in, pulling you in against him. As he shuts the door, footsteps are heard upstairs and then clamber down them. He was a tall man with hair just as dark as Eridan's. It was his father, the resemblance was quite obvious. His eyes immediately fix to yours.

"Who the hell is this?"

Eridan sighs and holds a hand out to him in a calming gesture.

"Easy, she's just... My girlfriend. And I'm quite sure there's other things worse to worry about."

His father look at Eridan in confusion, then in surprise.

"What the hell happened to you?!"

As he limps past his father and up the stairs with you, he winces out his words.

"Your crazy son. I try helping him, and he does this to me. I told him you would knock the crap out of him. Please do."

His father watches him sadly.

"I will, don't worry. I'm going to have a long talk with him."

"Dad. Please... Please don't treat him differently now.. Since we know about his.. Secret."

"I've already talked to your mom about it. You just worry about getting cleaned up."

"Yes sir."

Eridan nods to his father as he stands at the top of the stairs, then turns and heads down the hall to the bathroom. You step in with him and he shuts the door before turning and sitting on the edge of the tub. He was still holding your hand, so you had to crouch. You look up at him and speak softly.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

He doesn't answer, he simply shrugs and releases your hand to rest his head in his palms. You see the blood on his face has crusted, and that his hands were scratched and swollen from the struggle. You stand and search the bathroom for washcloths and medical supplies. Finding both, you wet the cloths with cold water and kneel in front of him. The cold cloth pressed to his forehead makes him jump and shiver as you wipe and blot away the blood on his face. He watches you silently as you press the cloth to his split lip, then to the cut on his jaw. You notice part of his shirt was ripped at the hem and went up to show some skin of his stomach. Not even realizing what you were doing, you push aside the fabric to the wounds underneath. He tenses when you touch the skin there and lift up the torn fabric more to get a better look. More bruises and cuts and... Words. No. Burns. There were fresh burns on his skin that spelled out words. You gasp silently and look at him. He simply looks down at you and speaks lowly.

"He decided to write out what I am on my skin."

You blink at him and he sighs, shrugging off his shirt and tossing it in the trash. You flush the slightest as you watch him, then draw your gaze to the bubbled flesh on his torso. The words you read made you upset and angry. "Loser", "Ugly" and "Pansy." Those were the words scrawled across his stomach. But the ones on his chest though, made you feel sick. "EMO" , "Anorexic" , "DIE" , and finally, "Monster." These words were fresh too. You bite your lip and look at him. Your voice nearly shaking when you mutter to him.

"He did this?"

He nods and looks away. You look to the burned words again, then press a cold cloth to them, making him shudder. After a while of tending to his scratches, cuts, and burns, you put everything back where you found them. Eridan stands and steps up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and burying his face in the back of your neck.

"I'm so sorry you have to see all this. I'm so sorry you got dragged into it."

You lean into him and sigh.

"Don't be sorry. I dragged myself into it. I chose to be a part of it.. And.. I'm glad I did.."

"... Why?"

You smile weakly at him through the mirror.

"Because now I know you're safe and sound. Now I know you have someone. Now I know you have someone that understands this all."

He smiles back lightly and kisses your ear before pulling away and opening the bathroom door. Eridan steps out and heads farther down the hall to a bedroom, assuming it was his. The room was too dark for you to make out the details, but all you knew was where the bed was after you followed the sound of Eridan collapsing on it. He grabs your hand and tugs you down next to him, making you gasp and giggle slightly. His arms wrap around your waist and you blush and whisper to him.

"You're awfully bold for having your first girlfriend.."

You feel him shrug, and hear a smile in his voice.

"I'm just doing what feels right. Does this bother you..?"

You smile and nuzzle into his embrace, your nose nudged against  
>his.<p>

"No.. I think it feels right too. And I like it.."

"I like it too.."

Eridan smiles and nuzzles his nose against yours, then kisses you gently. You blush but kiss back just the same. After a few minutes, the two of you pull away and lay there with each other; Eridan soon breathing softly in his sleep. You roll over in his arms and lay with your back faced to him, trying to get more comfortable. The movement startled him and made him take in a quick breath before relaxing and pulling you close against him. So close you could feel his heartbeat through the fabric of jacket and shirt. You smile and giggle softly. Eridan hums a bit, still drowsy and nearly asleep.

"What is it..?"

You smile and place your hands over his.

"I'm with you.."

Eridan smirks and hums again as he places a kiss to the nape of your neck.

"You're with me.."

Soon after a few minutes, Eridan falls asleep again. And you soon follow after him, snuggling into the warmth of his relaxed embrace and let your eyes drift close. You fall asleep with a small smile on your face. Feeling happy. Fulfilled. And complete.

* * *

><p>AN: My friend, Ben, has gone through some tough times in his life. I'm happy to say he has successfully been blade-free for almost two years and is in a very happy matespritship!<p> 


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